Film, Video, DVD: Alphabetical Listings
A B C D E F G H I J K L MN O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
Film, Video, DVD: B
Baby Van Gogh ED-512
24 min / 2000 / VHS
Preschool
This video is an enriching approach for the very young to learn colors through the context of paintings by Vincent Van Gogh. Children can explore the way colors make us feel, see the presence of colors in familiar objects, and discover that paintings are combinations of many colors. Accented with classical music of the period by Bizet, Offenbach, Mussorgsky, Rossini, Satie, Strauss, and Tschaikovsky.
Ballet Robotique ED-129
8 min / color / 1983 / PFP / VHS
Elementary school through adult
A computerized dance performed by giant industrial robots on an automobile assembly line. This film is a space-age fantasy in which utilitarian machines become polished performers through the magic of art and high technology. An intricately programmed performance of grace and precision, the machines are sychronized to music performed by London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and captured on film for the delight of all audiences. This film by Bob Rogers is especially appropriate for dance or creative writing classes.
The Bambara Kingdom of Segu ED-513
19 min / 1992 / FFH / VHS
Middle school through adult
In this program, we learn something of the past of the Bambara, and we can imagine even more from the architecture of their ancient villages. A large and flourishing culture, the Bambarans lived by collecting enslaved Africans and reselling them to North African and Western traders. When the slave trade was abolished, the economy of the Bambara went into decline. As new economic bases emerged, and new Bambara civilization was formed, one that has the artistic vigor of its forebears.
The Bamboo Brush ED-174
26 min / color / 1982 / BEA / VHS
Middle school through adult
Benjy, a teenager living in a Chinese-American family, disappoints his father by sneaking out of his Chinese language class to play video games with a classmate. Benjy’s grandfather helps him survive his punishment by teaching him the art of observation as practiced by the Chinese painter. The young boy becomes an adept artist and grows very close to his grandfather. After his grandfather’s death, Benjy finds new abilities and qualities in himself that help mark his passage into adulthood. An excellent film for discussion of bicultural experiences and the development of observation and listening skills.
Banjo Man ED-268
26 min / b&w / 1978 / FI / VHS
College through adult
Uncle Homer Walker, whose story began in Narrows, Virginia, plays his banjo and sings an energetic bluegrass rendition of Amazing Grace. Walker is the last of his clan to play the banjo in the old “claw hammer” style passed from generation to generation since the early slave days. Not only is his story that of rural mountain spirit, pride, and will to survive in the face of hardship, but it is also a testament to the joy that can be derived from continuing a treasured family tradition. Recommended for studies in Virginia history, folklore, and music, as well as African-American history.
Barcelona: An Aesthetic Illusion WA-538
60 min / color / 1993 / FFH / VHS
High school through adult
This program explores the modernista architecture of Barcelona, while interweaving important historical events from the city’s historical past including those of the Spanish Civil War. It reveals how Barcelona seems to be a never-ending experiment in architectural forms from the ancient Roman Barre Gothic to the elaborate designs of Gaudi, Montaner, and Puig I Catafalch.
Baryshnikov: The Dancer and the Dance PE-24
82 min / color / 1983 / FI / VHS
High school through adult
Mikhail Baryshnikov has been an elusive superstar. In this, the first intimate profile that he has allowed to be recorded, his many sides are revealed, including secrets of success that can apply to any artist. Baryshnikov reflects on his early training in Russia and dances stunning excerpts from works such as Corsaire, as well as the complete ballet Configurations.
Basic Art Handling ED-266
15 min / color / 1988 / GANY / VHS
College through adult
Have you ever pondered the proper procedure for moving a large sculpture from one place to another? Do you know the safest way to store paintings and prints? These and other art-handling questions are addressed in this videotape, produced by the Gallery Association of New York State. Professionals and private collectors answer questions about preserving precious objects, and a professional conservator demonstrates techniques designed to make art handling safe and effective. Recommended for classes in conservation and art handling, as well as for use by professional organizations.
Basic Cartooning AT-73
60 min / 1995 / CRYS / VHS
Elementary through middle school
Children’s book author, illustrator, and television cartoonist, Mike Artell, gives easy and plain instructions about the art of drawing cartoons. He demonstrates the four basic shapes, animals made from letters of the alphabet, how to create simple stories, and he makes a “flip book” that animates funny faces.
Basic Design ED-424
32 min / color / 1989 / IM / VHS
32 min / color / 1989 / IM / VHS
High school through adult
This program uses illustrations and photographs to show how line, form, mass, light, shade, and color work together to produce rhythm, movement, and space. It examines how components of design influence visual perception. It also looks at principles of design in the composition of artists.
Basic Drawing: Hand, Eye, Art AT-62
18 min / color / 1993 / Lucerne / VHS
Elementary school through adult
Comparison is the name of the game when you are learning how to draw. This program shows the beginning artist how to measure and compose a still-life drawing, giving hints and different techniques on how to translate the visual experience into a finished work. Line, light, shade, and texture are demonstrated in a series of simple, easy-to-understand steps. Recommended for beginning art classes.
Basic Perspective Drawing AT-75
30 min / 1996 / VHS
Middle school through adult
Artist Gerald Brommer gives a very instructive lesson on accomplishing
1-point, 2-point, and 3-point perspective drawing with vanishing
points. Using props, landscapes, and buildings, he presents a
clear and easy to understand approach that can work for experienced
artists and first timers as well.
Bass on Titles ED-285
32 min / color / PFR / 1977 / VHS
High school through adult
Academy award-winner Saul Bass is a Hollywood legend. The first designer to animate title sequences and opening credits for films, Bass discusses how he conceptualized the groundbreaking title graphics for films such as Goldfinger, The Man With the Golden Arm, and Nine Hours to Rama. In this program he discusses the challenge of integrating introductory visuals into the body of a story, and the importance of setting the tone for the film to follow.
Batik as Fine Art AT-72
60 min / 1992 / CRYS / VHS
High school through adult
Batik, the alternate waxing and dyeing of cloth, has been practiced as a folk art for ages but mainly outside of the “Western World”. In this video, Helen Carkin, Professor Emerita at Califiornia State University at Chico, makes batik technique easily understood by a wide audience with detailed, hands-on instructions.
Bauhaus: The Face of the Twentieth Century WA-514
50 min / color / 1994 / FFHS / VHS / DVD
High school through adult
This stunning program looks at the development of the Bauhaus and at the key figures involved in it-including the founder Walter Gropius, his successor Mies van der Rohe, and instructors Laslo Moholy-Nagy and Josef Albers. Set within the context of the political unrest and economic chaos of the Weimar Republic of Germany, the program contains rare archival footage of the school at Desau. Former students discuss their time at the Bauhaus, and the eminent architect, Philip Johnson, tells how it influenced his work. The program also looks at the architecture of Chicago, much influenced by Mies van der Rohe, who emigrated there after the Bauhaus was closed by the Nazis in 1933.
Bearden Plays Bearden WA-217
28 min / color / 1980 / PM / 3/4"vc, VHS
High school through adult
This presentation covers major events in the life of the prominent black American artist Romare Bearden. Bearden himself discusses the development of his distinctive collage painting style and traces many of the roots of his work to his early memories of growing up in rural North Carolina.
Beatrix Potter: Artist, Storyteller, and Countrywoman ED-374
58 min / color / 1994 / CF / VHS
Middle school through adult
Based on Judy Taylor’s successful biography, this video is the first documentary on the life of the remarkable author and illustrator of The Tale of Peter Rabbit and other children’s books. Narrated by actress Lynn Redgrave, this beautiful portrait of Beatrix Potter uses her exquisite water colors, rare family photographs by her father, and spectacular views of the English countryside to tell Potter’s story.
Beauty and the Beast ED-382
93 min / b&w / 1946 / AA / VHS
High school through adult
Poet of the French cinema Jean Cocteau transforms fantasy into reality in this exquisite adaptation of Marie Leprince de Beaumont’s fairy tale. Breathtaking imagery draws viewers into the enchanted realm of the magnificent beast and the gentle beauty who discovers the sensitive soul hidden beneath his monstrous exterior. Cocteau invites us to suspend disbelief as we enter a surreal world where a splendid white horse has magical powers, candelabra have human arms, and tears turn to diamonds. Beauty and the Beast is Cocteau’s statement on the power of love. French with English subtitles.
Before the Nickelodeon ED-131
60 min / 1982 / VHS
High school through adult
This film pays tribute to the achievements of Edwin Porter, America's
first artistically important filmmaker. In 1903, Porter made
The Great Train Robbery (see The Movies Begin in our listings)
while head of Thomas Edison's motion picture studio. It was the
first Western movie and first to use advanced editing and camera
techniques.
Beginning Raku ED-481
59 min / 1996 / LV / VHS
High school through adult
Noted potter Gordon Hutchens introduces raku with clear and detailed instructions and visuals. He makes several bisque-fired pots using the Japanese ceramics techniques that date to the middle ages. Mr. Hutchens then demonstrates how to make a simple kiln from a 55-gallon drum.
Behind the Legend of Sleepy Hollow ED-395
15 min / color / 1994 / CTC / VHS
Middle school through adult
This program travels to the Hudson River Valley in New York to visit three National Historic landmarks: the Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow, its historic graveyard, and Sunnyside, the home of Washington Irving, the father of American Literature. These locations provide the fascinating background for Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. An interview with William Lent, who represents the Friends of the Old Dutch Church Burying Ground, reveals striking similarities between the characters in this beloved story and actual people living in the area during Irving’s time. Ichabod Crane, Katrina Van Tassel, Brom Bones, and the Headless Horseman come alive as Lent tells of the people buried in this historic site.
La Belle Epoque, 1890-1910 WA-304
60 min / color / 1983 / FI / VHS
College through adult
This production by New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art is an entertaining and in-depth introduction to the “beautiful era,” a time of heightened indulgence and pleasure enjoyed by the social elite before the onset of World War I. Many historical sources are cited, including period film clips, photographs, sound recordings, and costumes. Because it offers an interesting introduction to pre-war Europe, this film is recommended for studies in history and art history.
Ben Shahn: Passion for Justice WA-599
57 min / 2001 / VHS
High school through adult
Fleeing Russia in 1906 with his family, Ben Shahn grew up in Brooklyn
with a strong sense of social justice. He studied art in 1920s
Paris and combined that era's modernist style with vivid humanist
commentary in his distinctive paintings and sketches about life
in immigrant America. Walker Evans inspired him to also use photography.
This video combines a retrospective of his works with rare TV
interviews and commentary by family and scholars.
Benny Andrews: The Visible Man WA-649
28 min / 1998 / VHS
High school through adult
African-American artist, Benny Andrews, uses oil paint, ink, and
collage to capture the souls of all types of people: "Southern,
Northern, black, white, rich, poor, pious, heathen-in Benny's
eyes, they are all HIS people." Born in the 1930s to sharecroppers,
Andrews reflects on his life, his encouraging parents, and embraces
the world in his art.
Betty LaDuke: An Artist's Journey from the Bronx to Timbuktu
28 min / 1996 / VHS
Painter La Duke talks about her life and a career traveling the
world in search of a multicultural artistic expression for 'the
unity of all life forms'. Her quest for the real truth of life
has taken her from Mexico to Borneo, from Africa to Papua, New
Guinea.
Betye and Alison Saar: Conjure Women of the Arts WA-400
30 min / color / 1993 / L&S / VHS / DVD
Middle school through adult
This program explores the interaction of these two African-American artists as mother and daughter, artists, and peers. The program explores their collaborative installation work, The House of Gris-Gris. Betye is a mixed media artist who works in both two- and three-dimensional forms, incorporating found objects in her work. Daughter Alison is a sculptor who works mainly in wood.
Beverly Semmes WA-487
13 min / color / 1996 / VM / VHS
High school through adult
Beverly Semmes’s fantastic fabric sculptures can be interpreted in many ways in terms of dance, landscape, sexuality, or self. These “gallery-size” dresses are creative expressions of the artist and show the innovative methods she uses in making her art.
Beyond Tradition: Contemporary Indian Art and Its Evolution WA-352
45 min / color / 1990 / ARTSA / VHS
Middle school through adult
This video program, based on the award-winning book of the same title, presents a sensitive overview of Native American art through the centuries. With emphasis on Southwestern cultures and tribes, it features the work of 125 of today’s leading Native American artists. Beyond Tradition promotes a greater understanding of and appreciation for their art, as prehistoric, historic, and contemporary examples are shown in their cultural contexts. Recommended for students of both art and social studies.
Beyond Words: Marriage of Art & Literature in Bookmaking WA-433
27 min /1994 / DVD, VHS
College through adult
This documentary celebrates the marriage between art and literature that artists’ books embody and follows the ancient legacy of combining the ideas of the writer with the vision of the artist and the skill of the printer. It serves as a visual introduction to the subject of fine art bookmaking and features David Mamet plus actors Kevin Spacey, Kathleen Widdoes, and Milo O'Shea reading from Kafka, Joyce, and Ibsen.
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Bicycle Ladies ED-298
14 min / color / 1990 / CFDW / VHS
Middle school through adult
Bicycle Ladies is a whimsical animated account of one woman’s struggle to overcome society’s attitudes and ride a bicycle in Victorian times. Although Maddy Endicott is able to elicit her husband’s support in her endeavors, she still must overcome such problems as cumbersome petticoats and crinolines and the shame of being a social outcast. Filmmaker Jill Haras has used an unusual cut-out animation technique to bring life to this gently humorous story. The drawings are done in black and white. Red, the only other color in the work, is used to highlight such significant story elements as a rose of love, tomatoes thrown by an unruly crowd, and Maddy’s distinctive flaming tresses. Bicycle Ladies celebrates individual achievement while teaching that women’s freedoms are often hard won. Recommended for animation, art, social studies, and women’s studies classes.
The Big Snit ED-325
9 min / color / 1990 / NFBC / VHS
Elementary school through adult
This is a warm, funny film with a thought-provoking undercurrent that could spawn as many interpretations as it has viewers. While it may turn sawing into the great national pastime, it may also, more importantly, cause us to speculate about which Snit has really been the Big One. This is a look at 2 simultaneous conflicts-the macrocosm of a nuclear holocaust and the microcosm of a domestic quarrel-and how each is resolved.
Bill Viola WA-606
30 min / 1997 / VHS
High school through adult
Bill Viola-pronounced like the musical instrument-- is one of
the foremost conceptual/video artists of our time. This profile
uses interviews and details of his creative methods along with
insights from his wife and those who work with him.
Bill Viola: The Eye of the Heart ED-585
74 min / 2005 / DVD
College through adult
Bill Viola uses cutting edge technology to explore 'going as deep
as you can into the act of being alive itself'. A near-drowning
experience as a child had a profound aesthetic and spiritual impact,
informing Viola's recurring motifs of bodies in water, birth,
death and the power of the transformative experience. In this
film the artist discusses his life, work, spirituality and philosophy,
illustrated by many examples of his work. Included is a bonus
feature Bill Viola and the Making of 'Emergence'.
The Bizarre World of Raoul Servais ED-367
56 min / color / 1968 / IFB / 1/2"
Middle school through adult
This compilation of 6 award-winning films by Raoul Servais begins with Chromophobia, a clever and whimsical animated film that shows the attempt of an inflexible army to impose its dictatorial rule on a free and happy society. The attempt is symbolized by the black-and-white army’s draining of color from everything in the environment. Sirene depicts in vividly colored, animated paintings the story of a mermaid who is destroyed in the harbor of a modern city, of the bureaucratic struggle for her body, and the survival of her spirit in spite of the chaos. The False Note is set against a background of vibrant colors and collages. A crippled beggar-musician vainly roams a modern city. At last an abandoned carousel horse sheds a magical tear for him. Goldframe is a satirical look at a film producer who is working to develop the first 270mm film. Done in stark, black-and-white etchings, this film is a comment on an ego out of control. Inspired by comic strip animation, To Speak or Not to Speak explores the dangers inherent in a society that is apathetic about politics. Pegasus examines man and his technology by imagining the frustrations of the world’s last blacksmith. Soft, chalky pastels create a world where sculpture comes alive.
Black Art-Ancestral Legacy: The African Impulse in African-American Art WA-331
40 min / color / 1990 / MAYAH / VHS
High school through adult
According to African-American artist Jean Lacy, “it is important to have a sense of history.” Her sculpture Welcome to My Ghetto appears to depict a typical New York tenement, but upon closer examination, African images emerge, and a young girl standing in a window becomes an initiate in a women’s society ritual. Two pygmies who appear to be decorations supporting the bannister become elders providing the foundations upon which modern African-American culture is built. Lacy and other artists such as Xenobia Bailey, John Biggers, Aaron Douglas, and Kofi Kayiga answer the question “What is Africa to me?” and explain how their explorations of African culture and traditions have affected their work.
Black Athena ED-407
52 min / color / 1991 / CN / VHS
College through adult
Cornell Professor Martin Bernal’s iconoclastic book on the African origins of Greek civilization is still at the center of campus debates over multiculturalism, Afrocentric curricula, and political correctness. In this video, Bernal accuses classicists of racism in suppressing the numerous connections between Egyptian culture and Greek art, myth, and philosophy. Leading classical scholars, on the other hand, argue that Bernal uses evidence selectively to support his own Afrocentric agenda, just like the Eurocentric writers he attacks. Black Athena explores both sides of the issue and helps viewers begin to distinguish between sound scholarship and cultural bias, whether inherited from the past or the present.
Blackfly ED-326
5 min / color / 1991 / NFBC / VHS
Preschool through adult
It’s man vs. nature in this witty and irreverent animated film based on singer-composer Wade Hemsworth’s famous tune “The Blackfly Song.” The forces of progress are on the run as a hydrodam survey crew in Northern Ontario, Canada, is overpowered by insatiable swarms of blackflies brought to life by award-winning animator Christopher Hinton. Closed captioned. Academy Award nominee.
Black Mountain College: A Thumbnail Sketch WA-414
18 min / color / 1989 / SCETV / VHS
High school through adult
Black Mountain College, nestled in the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina, was an experiment in education, where art was equated with a total approach to living and freedom of ideas was encouraged. From archival footage, photographs, and interviews, a view of this innovative school comes alive for the viewer. John Andrew Rice, a student of the educator John Dewey, founded this school based on the philosophy that faculty and students participate in all aspects of life there, making Black Mountain College totally self-sufficient. Josef Albers, formerly of the Bauhaus School in Germany, became one of the school’s best-known teachers. Notable students were Kenneth Noland, Robert Rauschenberg, Merce Cunningham, John Cage, and Elaine de Kooning.
Blue Snake PE-30
58 min / color / 1989 / BFF / VHS
Middle school through adult
Bizarre, zebralike dancers flee the crushing grip of giant puppets. Long-haired red monkeys spew forth from a gaping wound in a giant’s forehead to perform an evocative dance. Blue Snake, Robert Desrosiers’ highly acclaimed futuristic ballet, was commissioned by the National Ballet of Canada. The film captures the tension and excitement leading up to opening night as Desrosiers works behind the scenes with designers, composers, and dancers to mount his elaborate production.
The Blues Accordin’ to Lightnin’ Hopkins ED-466
31 min / 1969 / LES / VHS
College through adult
Legendary film documentarian Les Blank made this tribute to the equally legendary Southern blues singers, Lightnin’ Hopkins. Blank follows Hopkins with camera as he plays, ponders, and boogies at an outdoor barbecue, an African-American rodeo, and at a reunion visit to his boyhood home of Centerville, Texas. The film reaches into the Blues itself, into red-clay Texas, into hard times, and captures a “black” country way of life that is passing. Also includes a 10 min short called The Sun’s Gonna Shine about Lightnin’s decision at age 8 to stop chopping cotton and sing for a living.
Blue’s Clues: Shapes and Colors NEW!
96 min, 4 episodes /2003/ DVD
Preschool through early elementary
In these four delightful episodes of the popular Blue’s Clues TV show, Steve and Blue explore all kinds of art elements. In the first, shapes are explored. Then the second teaches about colors as the pair finger paints. In the third, they decide on what to paint, mix colors, and even visit an art museum. In the fourth, they make three dimensional objects and visit a bakery. Children interactively help the pair by following the clues on the screen.
The Body as Matrix: Matthew Barney's Cremaster Cycle VA-1
53 min
This is a behind-the-scenes look at the epic proportioned conceptual
video project The Cremaster Cycle. It shows the pre- and post-production
of the series along with actual video clips. There are interviews
with Barney, Guggenheim curator Nancy Spector, along with other
artists and craftsmen that helped Barney with his neo-surrealist
and singularly uncommon vision.
Bolero PE-15
26 min / color / 1972 / PFP /
Middle school through adult
Zubin Mehta conducts the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra in a stirring performance of Ravel’s Bolero. Beginning with informal rehearsals and casual discussions, the film sweeps into the driving pace of the performance itself. This film humanizes the orchestra by showing the musicians as individuals who experience both problems and pleasures in their chosen careers. It also shows the dynamics of group effort and the role of an effective leader. 1975 Academy Award for Best Live-Action Short.
The Book of Durrow WA-539
26 min / color / 1993 / FFH / VHS
High school through adult
Because it was written about 150 years before the better-known Book of Kells, the Book of Durrow is particularly fascinating. Its approach is more restrained and abstract than Kells. Durrow lies in the center of Ireland and was one of a number of monasteries where teams of scribes copied and illustrated manuscripts.
The Book of Kells WA-418
26 min /color / 1988 / FFH / VHS
Middle school through adult
The origins of the Book of Kells are uncertain; it was written and illustrated around the year A.D. 800, but the monastery where it originated has not been identified. It contains the Latin text of the four Gospels, with some pages in elaborate color. Almost every page has brightly colored birds and animals, and there are portraits of the four evangelists. The program not only shows but identifies the faces and figures and explains the flamboyant decoration and often witty symbolism found in the book.
Bookbinding / Papermaking ED-505
56 min / 1980 / VHS
High school through adult
3 segments: 1) Handmade Paper: Shows papermaking using household
equipment and materials--egg cartons, blender, embroidery hoops,
newspapers, cloth, linters, beater, mould and deckle, couching
table, and press. 2) Papermaking Techniques: Explores colored
pulp, watermarks, embossing with found objects or dies, shaped
deckles, laminating paper on paper, applications of flowers, string,
gold leaf, and cast paper. Also shows works of professional printmaker/artists.
3) Bookbinding with Simple Equipment: Handmade books are easy
to make and are ideal for scrapbooks, sketchbooks, and journals.
Demonstrations show how to make a basic softcover and a hardcover
book with readily available materials.
Botticelli WA-413
52 min / color / 1993 / NDV / VHS
Middle school through adult
The Renaissance artist Botticelli has come to epitomize the overwhelming interest that 15th-century Florentines had in the Platonic philosophy of the classical world. His works are filled with vibrant color and senuous visual interpretations. This video explores the world in which Botticelli lived and created his art.
Botticelli: The Humanist Trilogy WA-586
45 min / 2000 / KUL / VHS
College through adult
One of the leading painters of the Florentine Renaissance, Botticelli developed a highly personal style characterized by elegance of execution, sensuousness of subject, and a strong emphasis on line. This video gives an overview of Botticelli’s life and analyzes in-depth three of his masterpieces: Primavera, Pallas and the Centaur, and Birth of Venus.
The Box ED-296
10 min / color / 1989 / NFBC / VHS
Elementary school through adult
The filmmaker in his studio has just given birth to his latest creation-a charming puppet. With tentative steps, the puppet climbs inside a box that is filled with the wonders of life’s experiences. He meets new friends and discovers the joys of playtime and sharing. This charming fable, by renowned Canadian filmmaker Co Hoedeman, is about growing up. The animator has combined live action, puppets, and pixilation to create this touching world of fantasy.
Box of Treasures ED-272
28 min / color / 1985 / DER / VHS
High school through adult
In 1921, the Canadian government banned the Kwakiutl Indian potlatch ceremony and confiscated sacred artifacts. The potlatch and its lore were passed down to the current generation in utmost secrecy. A half-century later, the masks and costumes of the potlatch have been returned and have been deposited in a new cultural center in Alert Bay, British Columbia, Canada. The Kwakiutl children named the center “U’mista,” a word used to describe a kidnapped person who has been ransomed. The Indians demonstrate the steps they are taking to teach their children the heritage of their ancestors. Recommended for studies in Native American culture, history and world cultures, and performance.
Bread and Honey ED-308
13 min / color / 1988 / LF / VHS
Elementary school through adult
Live-action and charming animation are combined in this dramatization of Frank Asch’s book about a little boy with a wild imagination. While at school, young Colm draws a portrait of his mother. On his way home, however, he is accosted by 4 animal busybodies: a feisty rabbit, a grinning crocodile, a chunky elephant, and a towering giraffe, all of whom consider themselves art critics. Colm changes his drawing to please each of the animals, and finally, with great relief, presents the drawing to his mother who pronounces it “perfect, just the way it is!”
Bridget Riley WA-174
28 min / color / 1979 / AFA, RC / VHS
High school through adult
British painter Bridget Riley is an Optical artist whose works are concerned primarily with the variety and nuances of visual illusion. In this film, Riley creates a painting from the initial color tests and small-scale “trials” to the finished work. The camera proves an effective tool for conveying the subtle, fleeting qualities of Riley’s images. Blue Ribbon, American Film Festival.
Broadway: The American Musical series
6 parts, 60 minutes each / 2004 / VHS, DVD
Middle school through adult
This PBS series hosted by Julie Andrews gives the viewer the
best seat in the house to follow the history and evolution of
the uniquely American Broadway musical show from its origins at
the turn of the 20th century to the present. Ziegfeld Follies
to Oklahoma to West Side Story to Hair to The Producers; Berlin
to Gershwin to Rodgers to Fosse to Webber. Rare film footage
of performances and stars are featured.
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Pts. 1 & 2 BWY-1
Pts. 3 & 4 BWY-2
Pts. 5 & 6 BWY-3
Brothers Quay Collection EX-4
101 min total-10 short films / 1984-1993 / VHS
College through adult
The extraordinary stop-motion animation of the Quays, reclusive
identical twins from Pennsylvania, changed the course of motion
picture art. Mixing a strong surrealistic tendency with a German
Expressionist and Gothic horror mood, they carved their own distinctive
approach that has been imitated and influential ever since the
early 1980s. Their astonishing use of little secret worlds and
the cinematic apparatus make these 10 film shorts a must for anyone
interested in art and film history.
Brunswick Stew: A Virginia Treasure ED-456
57 min / 2000 / SW / VHS
College through adult
Giving a nod to the rivalry between two Brunswick Counties, one in Virginia and one in Georgia, this video presents a contemporary view of the fabled chicken-lima bean-corn-tomato delight, Brunswick Stew, created by slave Jimmy Matthews in 1828. Traditionally cooked in large, cast iron pots, it is more than a food but also brings people together socially. A number of charitable groups around the Virginia county are spotlighted in their pleasurable cooking rituals. Produced by Stan Woodward of
It’s Grits! fame.
Brush Dance AT-37
21 min / color / 1986 / BARR / VHS
Middle school through adult
Twenty-year-old Xiao Kejia is one of China’s master calligraphers, a distinction she shares with about two dozen men in their 70s and 80s. In profiling a gifted young woman, this video introduces the ancient Chinese art of calligraphy. Kejia, who was studying and teaching at Whittier College in California when the program was recorded, demonstrates and explains ts’ao-shu, the “grass” or cursive script. She also conducts a small class in which she teaches basic strokes to beginners, describes her own training in China, and summarizes the evolution of the leading forms of Chinese calligraphy.
Building Your Own Home Page ED-399
27 min / color / 1996 / CTC / VHS
Middle school through adult
Educator Laurie A. Quinlan knows the importance of understanding and utilizing effective home pages on the Internet. In this program, she takes viewers through the process of building a personal home page. First, she introduces the lines of Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) code needed to build a home page, including adding pictures and other graphics and customizing their page. Quinlan also addresses concerns that parents and educators have about possible shortcomings of the worldwide web. This program is an invaluable key to both writing and understanding HTML and encouraging creativity.
Bunraku: Masters of Japanese Puppet Theater ED-539
53 min / 2002 / VHS, DVD
High school through adult
The 300 year-old-art of Japanese puppet-theater is still performed.
This documentary explores "Bunraku" by spotlighting
two, elder masters, puppeteer Tamao Yoshida and chanter Sumitayu
Takemoto. These "living national treasures" transform
ancient tales of Japan into vibrant human drama. The camera goes
backstage to reveal the immense preparations for their exquisite
rendition of the classic, Shinju Ten no Amijima. A gift from
the Toshiba International Foundation.
Burchfield’s Vision WA-203
58 min / color / 1985 / LFA / VHS
High school through adult
Twentieth-century American artist Charles Burchfield found beauty in what others might have considered ugly or commonplace-the change of seasons, the decay of dead trees, the sounds of insects-nature in the raw. His favorite subjects-trains, tracks, and tramp steamers-are among the many examples of his work that allow us to discover the elusive masterpieces this artist created. Pages from his life-long journal present a glimpse of his feelings, philosophy, and spiritual struggles. Finalist, 1985 American Film Festival.
The Burghers of Calais WA-139
9 min / color / 1981 / MMM / VHS, 3/4"vc
Middle school through adult
This program presents an absorbing view of The Burghers of Calais, the 19th-century monumental bronze sculpture by Auguste Rodin, and the compelling story that inspired its creation. The sculpture is based on historian Jean Froissart’s 14th-century narrative about the 6 citizens of Calais who offered their lives in order to spare the town’s inhabitants from the siege of Edward III.
Butoh: Body on the Edge of Crisis PE-39
89 min / color / 1990 / BPI / VHS
Mature audiences, high school through adult
Butoh is a theatre of improvisation that places the personal experiences of the dancer on center stage. A Dionysian dance of nudity, eroticism and sexuality, Butoh’s scale of expression ranges from meditative tenderness to excessive grotesqueness. Shot in Japan with the participation of the major Butoh dancers and their companies. (Note: For mature audiences.)
Byzantium ED-465
52 min / 1998 / DSC / VHS
Middle School through adult
Constantine, a Christian convert, moved the center of his power to formerly Greek Byzantium, and made it the glory of the Christian world after Rome fell in 476 AD. This video examines the history and legacy of the city that was ultimately conquered by the Ottomans in 1453. A top-notch Discovery Channel production was shot on location in nine different countries.
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